


Silver Linings

by PrinceEli



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, Birthday, Canon Compliant, F/F, Family, Fluff, Lesbian, Movie Night, One Shot, Treasure Planet - Freeform, Two Shot, Wayhaught - Freeform, at first, it's like one really long one shot in two parts, it's out of control, its a three shot, jokes on me!!!!, waverly will be happy I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-12-29 16:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12089061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceEli/pseuds/PrinceEli
Summary: Waverly Earp turns seven on September 8th. It's an easy date to overlook, especially when her sister has recently been arrested and faces assault charges. Waverly discovers something, though, that resonates with her.And, thirteen years later, she shares it with her girlfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday Waverly! This first part is late because I got ousted from my home because of Irma, but I didn't forget about the angel. This fic makes heaps more sense if you've seen the movie Treasure Planet. Part two is coming... eventually. Within a month. Promise. Enjoy!  
> EDIT: changed a detail because I screwed up some math.  
> Please leave comments or kudos if you liked it! (or even comment if you didn't!)

Waverly Earp turns seven on September 8th. The week before, her sister, Wynonna, had attacked a student at her school after he called her a “demon-worshiping family murderer”. Ineloquent, yes, but effective: The typical modus operandi for most thirteen-year olds. Wynonna broke the kid’s arm, fractured his wrist and dislocated two fingers. The other student was also left with two black eyes, an impacted tooth and very, very, angry parents. That was what made the case take off- playground scuffles were no uncommon occurrence, but several thousands of dollars in medical bills was certainly an oddity. Deputy Nedley had commented that the kid’s injuries looked more like he was in _Fight Club_ than a playground, and the fact that a thirteen-year old did all of this was the cherry on top. So off to court they went. Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis arrived at the meeting in their old pickup truck and their nicest clothes, freshly pressed that morning, Curtis wearing a polo shirt and tan slacks; Gus an old sundress she hadn’t worn in years. On September 8th, Waverly sits at her desk, swinging her legs and reading _The Hobbit_ ; Wynonna sits in a court meeting, listening to her aunt and uncle try to convince the judge of her insanity and begging him to send her to the psychiatric hospital again, instead of juvenile hall. Words like ‘unstable’, ‘victim’, and ‘maladjusted’ are flung across the room as if she is not even there. Wynonna is taken away to juvenile hall for the first time, kicking and screaming, after she tells the judge to bite her. Waverly goes to bed early that night. Nobody remembers the little girl turning seven.

 

A month later, Gus and Waverly are at the dentist’s office. Posters are up on the wall, offering $5 for each pound of candy to children who want to trade it in, which nobody ever does. “Candy causes cavities!” it protests. Waverly sits in Gus’s lap so she can get a better look at the form Gus is filling out. Waverly is a voracious reader and was eager to learn new, harder words that she didn’t hear in regular conversations like “medical exemptions”, “bicuspid” and “enamel”. Gus fills out the form easily in her neat handwriting- Waverly Earp, age six”

 

“But Aunt Gus,” Waverly protested, “I’m not six, I’m seven.” Gus looks down at the little girl in her lap in confusion.

 

“No, Waverly, honey, your birthday isn’t until Septem…“Gus trails off as she realizes that it is already halfway through October. “Waverly, sweetie, do you remember what kind of cake we had for your birthday?”

 

“We didn’t have cake.” Waverly said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Wynonna got into a fight with Timothy Baker and you had a meeting about it. She was gonna take me to the country store and buy me candy but she didn’t come home.” Waverly started swinging her legs again, a habit that came out when she was excited, uncomfortable, or bored.

 

“Waverly, sweetie, I’m so sorry that we missed it-“ Gus starts. Waverly shrugs.

 

“It’s okay. Daddy never did anything for my birthday and Willa was always gone that day. Plus, we had cake last year, so it’s okay.” The girl didn’t seem to think anything was wrong with her birthday being forgotten, and that pained Gus even more.

 

“Tell you what, Waverly. After your dentist appointment, we can go to the store and get any cake you want and pick out a new toy, okay?” Gus’s heart melted a bit when Waverly smiled widely at her.

 

“Okay, Aunt Gus! Can we get a movie, too?” Gus patted Waverly’s head, careful not to disturb her pigtails.

 

“Of course, kiddo.”

 

Gus and Waverly end up making a boxed cake mix. The yellow kitchen feels warm with joy and the heat of the oven. Together, they add the eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Gus butters the pan and puts the cake in the oven. Waverly isn’t yet supposed to use the oven, although Gus is sure Waverly’s father had left her to do her own cooking more than once. The home phone rings, disturbing the laughing between the two. It’s a call from Curtis, saying that one of the fall calves is breeching. Suddenly, the room feels cold and Gus hurries to leave. She grabs her coat, only to realize that Waverly didn’t have her movie yet.

 

“Waves, sweetie, what kind of movie do you want to watch tonight?” Waverly stood there, in her soft flannel pajamas and fuzzy socks, and looked like she was going to cry.

 

“Are you leaving?” She asked, solemnly. Gus nodded.

 

“I’m sorry, Waverly, honey, but Uncle Curtis and I have to be there ourselves to help out this cow giving birth. I’ll send one of the farmhands back with the movie, but they need to know what kind you like. What kind would you like to watch?” Waverly considers this. She had finished a book about the solar system earlier and their class had a pirate party for Anthony’s birthday. Waverly liked the eyepatches.

 

“I dunno. Maybe something about space? Or pirates.” She shrugged. Gus looked at her, nodded, and headed out the door. The slamming of the door echoes, and Waverly is left all alone, once again. She sits on the couch and buries her nose in another book.

 

The oven beeps, and Waverly puts on the gloves, far too big for her hands, and opens the oven, sliding her hands in and grabbing the cake. She turns off the oven with a beep and goes to grab the vanilla frosting from the fridge. Aunt Gus had snuck edible cake decoration letters into the shopping cart when Waverly wasn’t looking that spelled “HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAVERLY”. Waverly grabs the letters in her right hand and the frosting in her left. She carefully nudges the fridge door closed, Wynonna had hit it hard once and popped the door out of the hinges. Just before Waverly goes to stick a toothpick in the cake, a set of three short knocks reverberates through the quiet kitchen. Waverly grabs a stool and places it down firmly in front of the door. She steps up, careful not to slip in her fuzzy socks, and peeks her head over the glass panel at the top of the door. She saw Samson, the newest farmhand, wearing muddy pants and a dark cowboy hat. He fidgets nervously. Waverly steps down from the stool and pushes it back before reaching for the brass doorknob.

 

“Heya, Waverly.” He greets her with his strong Montanan accent. Waverly smiled faintly.

 

“Why aren’t you helping Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis with the cow?” She asked pointedly. Samson softly kicks the ground, spitting up a couple of rocks from the gravel driveway. It seems like a sore spot for him.

 

“Well, I, uhm, am the newest of the lot, and uh, Miss Gus needed someone to pick up the movie for you, she told me it was your birthday celebration, so, happy birthday, by the way, and since I’m the newest, she decided I’d be the least useful, so off I went to the movie store. I’ll head back to see if I can help ‘em, I just had to get you this. Gus said get something that was either pirate themed or space themed, and well, this is both, plus it’s a Disney movie, and girls love Disney movies-“ Waverly rolled her eyes at this, Wynonna could never stand Disney movies, except for _Mulan,_ “and so I hope you like this.” He stuck his hands out with the movie. Waverly took it gently. “Have a good night, Waverly.” Samson said, tipping his hat down. He turned away immediately and rushed to his truck. He shifted his car loudly and was gone in under thirty seconds, kicking up more gravel as he sped away.

 

And so, Waverly was alone again.

 

She looked down at the plastic case in her hands. _Treasure Planet_ , it said, and had a cast of characters, humans and what looked like aliens, on a boat, in space. Waverly smiled at this, she never thought that there would be a movie that had her two favourite interests. Waverly walked back to the living room, almost slipping (those darn fuzzy socks would be the end of her) and placed the movie on the coffee table. She hustled back to the kitchen, grabbed a big knife from the rattling drawer that Curtis promises to fix, and cuts herself a big piece of cake. She grabs a smaller knife from the drawer, almost popping it out of alignment, and spreads the vanilla frosting everywhere. Satisfied, she takes her cake and the letters into the living room. Waverly gently places the cake and letters down, takes the DVD out of its case, and places it into the DVD player they had bought after their VHS died two months ago. Wynonna loved the new electronic, at least, she had when she was still here. Waverly presses play and scoots back the soft, worn, flannel couch, sinking into it as the Disney logo appears.

 

_“On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargoes of Arcturian sura crystals felt safe and secure. Little did they know, they were pursued by… pirates.”_

Waverly gasped as they zoomed into the face of a monstrous alien-pirate, with many eyes and huge, sharp teeth. She grabbed the letter H from the bag and quietly crunched it in her teeth. She watched as the pirates attacked the ship and then- it was over. The images she was seeing was just actually a boy reading a futuristic 3-D book, who was now being scolded for being awake late by his mother. And so Waverly watched, her smile widening as the mother and child read the book together.

 

And suddenly, she swears she sees Wynonna. The boy has grown up into thrill-seeking teen, with Wynonna-brown hair and Wynonna-blue eyes. He surfs through the area, whooping with joy, until he hears sirens and the cops get him. Besides the fact that the main character is a boy, Jim, Waverly is sure that the animators have met Wynonna.

 

_“Speaking of which, how’s Jim doing?”_

No, not Jim, Waverly thinks, _Wynonna._

_“Much better, I know he had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think he’s starting to turn a corner”._

Sarah Hawkins, Jim’s mother, reminds her of Gus, except Gus had long ago given up hope that the corners Wynonna turned would be good ones. Suddenly, the police appear with Jim in their arms. Waverly remembers the first time the police showed up dragging Wynonna after she had egged a house. Waverly thinks she was ten.

 

“ _Mrs. Hawkins?”_

No, not Hawkins, Waverly screams, _McCready._ They called Gus “Mrs. McCready” when they brought Wynonna here, the police rapping so hard on the front door Waverly thought it was going to crack.

_“Jim!”_

Jim’s mother drops the dish in shock. Waverly thinks about how Gus was cleaning the kitchen when Wynonna was almost-arrested, how she slammed the kitchen cleaner onto the counter, the dull thud it made, the way she threw her gloved hands in exasperation at Wynonna.

 

“ _We apprehended your son operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area. Moving violation section fifteen, paragraph, uhm, 6.”_

Waverly stares at the movie, so carefully reflecting her own life and sighs deeply. She cuts a piece of her cake, places it on a letter, E, and relishes the crunch the letter gives the soft cake.

 

Waverly loves the movie. She is convinced that if Wynonna is Jim, the young, intelligent rebel, she is Doctor Doppler, the sometimes awkward, but incredibly wise and intelligent astrophysicist. Waverly relishes the new word, _astrophysicist_. She also finds herself obsessed with the ship’s captain, a feline alien with short, red hair, an impressive vocabulary and heavy doses of sarcasm. Waverly loves the way she orders people around, the ways she does flips, her skill with a gun, and the boots that go up all the way to her thighs. When Waverly watches Jim’s father leave him, she cries. Her own father died, but the effect on Wynonna was all too similar. She relates to Jim in her own way now, Waverly sometimes felt like her father would’ve abandoned her (Willa certainly would’ve) if he could. But through the experience of working on the ship, Waverly watches Jim learn manners, how to work hard, and resilience. Silently, Waverly begs for juvenile hall to do the same for Wynonna. When Jim comes home, after fighting the pirates and saving the day, he goes to the naval academy. His mother is all too proud of him as he stands there in his uniform at the front of their inn, at the same door where he was handed to her by the police. Waverly cries again at this point, hot tears spilling down her face for the moment she hopes Wynonna and Gus would have. Doctor Doppler has children with the redhead, which strangely satisfies Waverly. She likes that ending. She likes that she, well, Doctor Doppler, (Waverly reminds herself that she is not Doctor Doppler and Wynonna is not Jim) ended up with the redhead. Waverly gingerly takes the DVD out of the player, quietly sneaks upstairs (even though there is nobody else home) and hides it in her music box, where Waverly hides her special things. The movie joins a birthday card from Wynonna from when Waverly turned six, Waverly’s first perfect test score, and a photo of her and Wynonna, Waverly smiling at the camera and Wynonna making a silly face. Waverly closes the DVD player and snuggles into the couch with the quilt that Gus made so long ago.

 

When Gus and Curtis come home, covered in mud, straw, hay, and blood, they find Waverly asleep, with a couple of crumbs on her tiny face. The letters now read “Hap Birth Wavly” and Waverly’s plate is empty. Gus smiles, picks up the plate and remaining letters and brings them into the kitchen. Curtis gingerly picks up Waverly, careful to not wake Waverly and careful not to get any grime on the tiny girl. But no matter how hard they looked that night, they never found that DVD.


	2. An Entirely Different Birthday Experience, Courtesy of Nicole Haught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly enjoys an entirely new birthday experience. Her sister is back in town, and her girlfriend is vaguely threatening to those around her. It makes for the best birthday yet.
> 
> This chapter made me hungry. Also, sorry for my shitty Italian! Io sono non buona studentessa d'Italiano ma sono diligente!

It was Waverly’s Birthday on September 8th.

 

Nobody forgets this year- Nicole makes sure of that. The usually non-confrontational cop reminded Wynonna every day for two weeks, through texts, verbal harassment, and notes stuck into Wynonna’s coat pockets. Wynonna even found a note in her donut box. Nicole waited and stared at Jeremy until he plugged the date into his smartwatch. She vaguely threatened Dolls with Wynonna. All Nicole had to do with Doc was take him to the Sam’s- the mom-and-pop store downtown to buy him a calendar. When she told him the date, he nodded seriously. Nicole knew he wouldn’t forget.

 

The gang actually pulled through, too, no doubt a result of Nicole’s herculean efforts. They all brought presents. Wynonna gifted Waverly a pistol- a Glock 19mm Compact, a manageable pistol, telling Waverly “It’s for when hitting the revenants with a stick just doesn’t cut it, Baby-Girl”. Dolls gave Waverly an extremely rare text in Sumerian, “and, if anyone asks, Earp, this book went mysteriously missing from BBD storage”. Doc gave Waverly a beautiful, embroidered, ivory sunhat, “because _everyone_ needs a hat, Waverly” (he wanted to give her dynamite, but Nicole and Dolls had quickly stopped him). Jeremy built long distance, extra rugged radios for everyone- Waverly’s neatly engraved with “Angel Pants” all in cursive. Engraved flowers bloomed from Waverly’s name up the side of the radio, leading to the antenna, which was poised to look like the stem. The group all went for lunch at the dinner, Nicole jokingly disgusted with Waverly’s habit of dipping French fries in her vanilla milkshake; Waverly legitimately disgusted with Nicole’s habit of putting vinegar and salt on her fries. Wynonna stole fries from both plates indiscriminately. The diner even bought veggie burgers, at Nicole’s previous request. She really had thought of everything.

 

Flickers of past birthdays intruded into Waverly’s mind.

 

The loneliness.

 

Being forgotten.

 

Willa laughing at her.

 

Wynonna leaving.

 

But she looked at her girlfriend and friends, in the vintage diner, Nicole’s arm draped around her, and felt bursts of warmth spread through her chest like fireworks. Waverly almost teared up, just almost, but blinked away the tears as quickly as they came. She disguised it with the smile- of the ‘smile and wave’ fame as she beamed at Nicole. It was truly the best birthday she had. For a second, the weight of the Earp curse seemed to lift from Wynonna’s shoulders, who had just been busted stealing an onion ring from Doll’s plate. For once, the ignorance of the curse wasn’t created by the seemingly ever-present smell of whiskey. Even Jeremy, ever-nervous, seemed to be at peace, and Dolls even laughed once or twice. Nicole absent mindedly rubbed her thumb against the spot where Waverly’s neck met her spine, and Waverly leaned into the touch. Nicole was wearing Waverly’s favourite sweater, the soft maroon one, with the white button up. Waverly loved tucking her small body into the crook of Nicole’s arm when she wore that sweater, although Waverly loved cozying up to Nicole’s body no matter what she was wearing. Everything seemed exactly like it should be.

 

Eventually, far past lunch, the gang dispersed, leaving Waverly and Nicole to each other. Nicole, of course, had a plan, and took Waverly to the old bookstore, which smelled of ancient paper and cedar. Nicole sat in the faded armchair while Waverly excitedly chatted with the store owner, who was well acquainted with this Earp sister. The old bookkeeper smiled at her, and led her to the new arrivals section, where a very old copy of Sapphos’ poems (the book was even in Ancient Greek). Waverly shot a knowing look at Nicole, the “this is the gayest book you could’ve given me” look. Waverly gingerly took the book in her hands and thanked the shopkeeper. Waverly milled around the bookstore a little longer, smelling the books and perusing more books that would be added to her “To Buy” list on her phone that was ever growing.

 

“Hey Waves?” Nicole called quietly, as not to disturb the peacefulness of the store.

 

“Yeah, Nicole?” Waverly responded quietly, her nose still deep in the writings of Cicero.

 

“It’s almost 4:30. I’ve got to get back home soon so I can change.” She gently informed Waverly- she knew Waverly would be happy to spend the rest of her life and maybe afterlife in the store. Waverly furrowed her brow.

 

“Change? Why? What you have on now is perfectly cute”. Waverly protested. She really did like that sweater Nicole was wearing.

 

“Yeah, if it’s okay with you, I made reservations. I’d be a little underdressed if I went in what I’m in now. Plus, it’s a bit of a drive to get to the restaurant, and I thought you might want to change too.” Waverly narrowed her eyes. That was Nicole’s nicest, sweetest, most subtle way of telling her she was underdressed too.

 

“Alright, let’s go.” Waverly thanked the kind bookkeeper, who invited her to come again any time, knowing full well the girl would be back within a week. Nicole smiled and mouthed “Thank you” again, as the old woman was instrumental in getting Waverly that book. Waverly slid into Nicole’s passenger seat, already adjusted to the tiny girl’s height. Waverly’s phone beeped quietly, telling her it was connected to Nicole’s car’s speakers. When Nicole started the car, Waverly’s favourite songs started to play. Nicole drove carefully, but kept her right hand on Waverly’s lap.

 

Nicole pulled up to her little house and pecked Waverly on the cheek. “I’ll be right back, babe. I’ll grab my clothes, feed Calamity Jane, and then I’ll be right back here with you. Then we can go to your house and get ready.” She rubbed her thumb against her cheek. Nicole grabbed the handle and stuck her long, gangly, leg out of the car and hurried towards the house. Waverly smiled, watching the red-head lazily jog to the house, her long legs always a delight to watch. She pouted when she was gone, and briefly considered going in to pet Calamity Jane, but knew she’d only serve to distract Nicole. She pouted and switched through three separate songs on Spotify until she settled on one. She hummed along to the lyrics and mimicked the moans in the background of the song. She was really getting into the groove of it when Nicole was back with her duffel bag.

 

“I thought you were going in to change?” Waverly asked Nicole.

 

“Well, I didn’t make you wait for me, and since we both have to change I figured we could do it at your house.” Nicole smiled sweetly at Waverly, who nodded. Nicole eased the car into reverse and they set off towards the Earp Homestead.

 

 

Wynonna, of course, greeted them at the homestead. “Happy Birthday, Baby-Girl!” She clamored from the kitchen table, where she was drinking an old fashioned. Nicole and Waverly had showed Wynonna a couple of recipes beyond just drinking from the bottle.

 

“So, cutie pie, how formal should I be?” Waverly asked Nicole. Nicole smiled at her adoringly, and Waverly felt fireworks in her stomach once again.

 

“Fairly formal. Black tieish? A cocktail dress or something would do fine.” She grinned.

 

“Well this place sure sounds fancy, doesn’t it? I’ll go find something. You can change in Wynonna’s room” She pecked Nicole on the cheek.

 

“Hey!” Says Wynonna.

 

“And aren’t you going to Shorty’s tonight, anyways, Wynonna?” Nicole asked.

 

“What?” Waverly asked. Wynonna just groaned. Nicole raised her eyebrows.  

 

“Right, Wynonna? And you’ll be gone all night?” Nicole asked, emphasizing ‘all’.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m leaving. See you tomorrow, Haughtpants. And happy birthday Baby-Girl!” Wynonna grabbed her leather jacket and started walking towards the door.

 

“That’d better have been your only old fashioned, Wynonna! I don’t want a call from Lonnie or Nedley!” Nicole shouted after her. Wynonna waved and closed the door. As soon as the door was closed, Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hair and kissed her, hard, her left hand trailing at Nicole’s back. Nicole leaned into it, but when Waverly tried to slip her tongue into her mouth Nicole pressed gently on Waverly’s chest and separated them. “Babe” Nicole started gently.

 

“I know, I know, we have to get ready. Why do we have to be ready at five o’clock?” Waverly asked. Nicole smiled.

 

“It’s a bit of a drive, cutie.” Nicole said, kissing her on the cheek again. She grabbed her duffel bag and started up the stairs towards Wynonna’s room. “Tell me when you’re ready!” She called from the top of the stairs. Waverly chuffed. Admittedly, though, she was excited about the surprise of it all. Waverly wasn’t used to surprise, so she hurried off to her room with sparks running through her body. She picked a short cocktail dress, a deep navy blue one. The hem ended just an inch or two above her knees. It was strappy, with an open back that she knew Nicole would love to run her hand on while she drove. Waverly spinned lightly, savoring the feeling of the silk hem rubbing against her thighs. She picked out a matching pair of a slightly darker navy heels that gave her a nice bit of a height bump. Waverly put her hair up, this time in a high bun, which she paired with long, silver earrings. _Ravenclaw colours_ , she thinks. She smiles and goes out to meet Nicole. She was surprised to see that Nicole wasn’t ready yet. Waverly furrowed her brow. Nicole was almost always ready before her. Waverly made her way over to Wynonna’s room. She knocked on the old wooden door and listened for a response, but didn’t hear one.

 

“Nicole?” She gently opened the door to Wynonna’s room. She found the room dark, with Nicole’s duffel bag laid open. Nicole’s sweater, jeans, and fall boots were laid on the floor. Waverly heard a faint grunt from down the hall. “Nicole?” She called out. Waverly closed the door quietly and made her way down the hall, stopping at the bathroom. Faint white light glowed from the door frame. Waverly knocked.

“Don’t come in!” Nicole’s voice rang out. There was a second voice, tinny and metallic, probably from a phone speaker. Waverly heard fumbling and then the voice stopped. “I’m not ready yet and I don’t want you to see me before I’m done. I’ll meet you downstairs in ten?”

 

“Okay, baby. Do you need any help?” Waverly asked.

 

“I’ll be okay. Love you!” Nicole called out. Waverly headed down the stairs, careful not to trip. She sat on the couch and absentmindedly browsed her phone, reading an article on Snapchat absentmindedly. Ten minutes later, she heard a door close upstairs and footsteps moving towards the top of the stairs. The first thing she saw of Nicole was long, dark loafers and a slim fitting pant cuff. Nicole made her way down the stairs and Waverly smiled. Nicole was wearing a suit. It was a black suit with a navy dress shirt and a dark black bowtie.

 

“So, having bowtie troubles, were we?” Waverly asked, teasing. Nicole blushed gently.

 

“I thought that since I could already tie a tie, a bowtie would be similar.” Nicole scratched the back of her neck. “I guess I was wrong.” Waverly met her at the bottom of the stairs, grabbed her neck, and kissed Nicole, hard at first, and ended it softly and looked into Nicole’s caramel eyes.

 

“Well, I love it. You look very handsome. Thank you for doing that for me.” Nicole smiled at her, flashing her perfect teeth.

 

“If I knew that was your reaction to bowties, I would’ve worn them more often.” Waverly smiled and grabbed her butt.

 

“Ready to go, Officer Haught?”

 

“After you, Madam Earp.” Waverly and Nicole walked out to their car, Waverly’s hand on Nicole’s butt and Nicole’s hand on Waverly’s back.

 

The drive took much longer than Waverly expected, and explained why Nicole was so eager to get ready and get on the road. Nicole’s hand rarely strayed from Waverly’s back, and Waverly drummed her fingers against Nicole’s thigh to the music. Waverly, of course, DJ’d the car on the way there (Nicole was very strict about not looking at her phone while driving). The pulled into the Big City at 6:30, and pulled into the parking garage at 6:45. Nicole smiled awkwardly at her. “Sorry, I wanted to valet us, but it was pretty expensive and it’s a pretty warm night…” Waverly leaned up an kissed Nicole on the cheek.

 

“It’s okay. It just means I get to walk with you.” Nicole smiled at that, kissing her on the mouth, short and sweet. They interlocked hands and made their way towards the restaurant, relishing in the tepid fall air and the sounds of the city.

 

When they arrived, Waverly gasped. “Nicole, you _didn’t!”_ She grabbed Nicole’s shoulders.

 

“I did. Happy Birthday, baby.” Nicole traced Waverly’s spine. They were in front of Il Buon Ristorante Verde. Also known as the Green Restaurant, it was revered among vegans and vegetarian alike, having both options for people. It was run by a couple, with one woman being the daughter of Italian immigrants, and her wife, a vegan. Her wife had learned to adapt her ethnic Italian meals to her wife’s vegetarianism, and she was so talented, it spread to her friends, and finally, became a very exclusive, very expensive restaurant. There were murmurings that she would open a café too, but no news had broken yet. Waverly had been _dying_ to go, looking through dozens of Instagram and Tumblr posts featuring the place. “After you, baby.” Nicole said, holding the door open for her. Waverly stepped in, hit with the warmth of the restaurant. The smell of oregano, garlic, pepper, and salt all mixed together with the smell of the candles that flickered, giving the place a romantic ambience beyond any place Waverly had ever been.

 

“Wow.” Waverly said. “This is so romantic.” She turned to Nicole and kissed her cheek. “Glad I didn’t come here with Wynonna!” Nicole scoffed.

 

“Yeah, because Wynonna wants to spend forty-five dollars on a meal with no meat.” Nicole said sarcastically.

 

“Wait, forty-five dollars? Nicole, I can’t-“ Nicole swept down to Waverly’s level and stopped her with a kiss.

 

“Happy Birthday, Waverly.”

 

 

 

It was by far the best meal either of them had ever had. Nicole had goat cheese and herb stuffed radicchio leaves with porcini soup, while Waverly had pesto lasagna. They both drank wine (Nicole careful to only have one). The entire time, they played footsie, Waverly occasionally creeping her leg up towards Nicole’s thighs, and Nicole giving her a stink eye, knowing damn well they wouldn’t be home for hours.  They even each had gelato, Nicole getting a chocolate and nut tartufo flavor with Waverly getting stracciatella, the Italian equivalent of vanilla with chocolate chips. They left the restaurant eating their gelato, cackling at a dirty joke Waverly made, a little more in love than they were before.

 

When they got back to the Homestead, it was still quiet. Wynonna was still out at Shorty’s, presumably. Waverly, sitting on the old worn couch with Nicole, opened her presents. An incredibly soft sweater reading “Ravenclaw Keeper” with number 98 on the back.

 

“See?” Nicole asked. “It’s your birthday- September eighth! And-” Nicole winked “you’re a keeper!” Waverly laughed and kissed her girlfriend sweetly, lips gently parting. They lay together for a while, Waverly resting her head on Nicole’s chest, waiting in comfortable silence. Waverly sat up and turned to face her lover, finger trailing Nicole’s collarbone.

 

“Hey, Nicole, can we watch a movie? It’s kind of stupid, but it’s this old childhood movie of mine and it really mattered to me and I related to it-“ Nicole kissed the top of Waverly’s head.

 

“Of course, baby.”

 

 


End file.
